Africa-Press – Tanzania. DODOMA Regional Commissioner, Anthony Mtaka, has asked Exim Bank Tanzania to empower local contractors so that they effectively carry out flagship projects in the country and outside Tanzania.
Mr Mtaka made the call at a dinner gala hosted by the bank for its customers in the country’s capital—Dodoma, where he gave an example of Exim China which has been supporting Chinese contractors, who carry out different mega development projects in the globe including Tanzania.
“I am delighted with the opening of the new branch of Exim Bank here in Dodoma, so in addition to increasing the network and service to your customers, I suggest it is also better to look at how to help our local contractors to implement major projects, locally and outside the country based on the fact that you have already extended branches in different African countries including Comoros, Djibouti, Uganda and Ethiopia,’’ he noted.
The Dodoma RC further noted that major companies from across the world were being supported by their local financial institutions, something that could also be done by Exim Bank Tanzania.
At the opening ceremony of the new branch in Dodoma, Mr Mtaka took time to offer his advice on how the bank should think on solving youth unemployment in the country, by establishing something similar to Corporate Social Responsibility (CSR).
He advised that Exim Bank Tanzania may decide to come up with a new service of Corporate Social Investment (CSI), which only targets graduates from different higher learning institutions either individually or in groups, where they can get loans to start up their income-generating activities instead of struggling for employment from different institutions.
Speaking at the occasion, the bank’s Board Member, Irene Mlola, welcomed all ideas from the RC, insisting that having a branch in Dodoma was one of the strategies to help residents in the capital city to boost their income.
Equally, she promised to work on them, stressing that the bank’s presence in Dodoma was the beginning of helping the city’s residents grow their economy by bringing financial services closer to them and ensuring that their service reach all citizens, especially those on the margins.
She further said that Exim Bank Tanzania would equally support the country’s development agenda in the implementation of flagship projects to realize the ambitious industrial economy.
Earlier speaking at the event, Exim Bank’s Head of Retail Service, Andrew Lyimo, while thanking Dodoma residents for their warm welcome to the bank, promised that the bank is committed to providing banking services to meet their needs in line with innovation due to investment in digital services.
“In addition to investing in digital services, we offer different services including issuance of different kinds of loans like mortgage loans which are being offered at an interest rate between 15 and 16 percent,” he said
